Shanghai
by Sid Sackson
Published by Ravensburger 1997
Translated by Richard Ingram
Distributed from The Rules Bank by Mike Siggins
Contents
1 board with a revolving plastic disc
6 game stones (playing pieces)
1 junk
1 figure (Lang-Tsu)
1 time stone
16 event cards
64 'destination' cards, representing characters Lang-tsu will talk to.
100 bank notes
Aim of the game
Players try, with the help of destination cards, to collect as much
information (and so points) as possible. To be in the right place at
the right time, that's the trick. Whoever reaches the junk first has
won. Whoever on the other hand is too keen and gathers too much
information, may find their bribery attempts are perhaps in vain.
Preparations
Our tip: The game is easier to learn if the following steps are worked
through and only read more of the rules afterwards.
The game will be played in the box.
The destination cards should be well-shuffled and dealt out, 12 to each
player, (only 10 if 6 play). These cards should be viewed only by the
owning player, and the remaining cards should be placed as a face down
deck near the board.
Shuffle the event cards and lay them face down behind the board.
Each player receives money worth 1,200: (1 x 400, 6 x100, 3 x 50, 5 x
10). The remaining money forms the bank, and one player should become
the banker.
Each player receives a game stone. It only comes into the game after
the first auction round.
The owner-less junk, which can be reached with the help of Lang-Tsu,
should be placed on the space 39/40.
In order to decide upon the start point of the informant, Lang-Tsu, in
the first round, the disc should be spun once strongly. He will be
placed on the picture lying behind the single arrow. The other arrows
indicate at which four 'places' Lang-Tsu can obtain information in the
coming round.
The time stone should be placed near the sun (i.e. morning).
The game equipment and what can be done with it
The board shows the various different 'destinations' (1 - 13) to be
found in the port of Shanghai, where Lang-Tsu can obtain information
about the position of the junk.
The revolving disc shows four of the destinations at which Lang-Tsu can
ask around this time. If Lang-Tsu is with the water-carrier (2), he can
travel to the fortune teller (7), the tea room (8), the bird-trader (9)
or the Chinese opera (10). The decision as to where he will actually
go, depends on the destination cards of the players and on the outcome
of a bidding contest. When the decision has been made, Lang-Tsu will
move to the appropriate picture. The single arrow on the disc will be
turned so as to follow him.
The points track reflects the information gathered by the players. The
more information, and so points, a player has, the nearer the playing
piece gets to the junk. The junk also drifts on the points track,
Important: The junk always occupies a single space, and so moves twice
as fast as other pieces.
The time of day track is a type of clock with Chinese symbols. The sun
stands for early morning, the tea bowl for mid-morning, the face for
late morning, the rice dish for midday, the temple for afternoon, and
the moon for evening.
The time stone shows the time of day. At the start of each round, it
should be advanced one space. This is important as the value of
information alters in accordance with the time.
The destination cards are always valid for only one of the 13
destinations (shown by the numbers at the top of each card). They show
how much a piece of information is worth at different times.
Important: Twice each day, mid morning, and afternoon, (shown with red
symbols) Lang-Tsu's services are doubled in value. The printed points
number is thus doubled.
Example : see card pictured on page 6 of the German rules book.
Information gathered in the early morning is worth 6 points.
Information gathered mid-morning is worth 2 x 5 = 10 points.
The playing of a maximum of 3 cards representing any one destination at
one time of day is allowed, but only 2 of these may feature double
points.
The event cards come into the game at the end of each round. There are
positive and negative cards. When, following an action, all playing
pieces have been moved, the player who has just successfully bribed
Lang-Tsu, decides whether he himself will take an event card, or an
opponent of his choice. The card can of course not be examined
beforehand. The instructions on the card must be carried out at once,
and then the card is replaced at the bottom of the deck.
How to play
The auction
The right to send Lang-Tsu to a place of your choice will be bid for.
As soon as the players have compared suitable destinations for this
round with their destination cards, the auction can be started. Of
course, no one gives away where they might send Lang-Tsu.
When all players have declared that they're ready, they attempt to
outbid the others. Bids must be in multiples of 10 and you must not bid
more than you own. The size of your bidding increase is up to you.
It is possible that not all players will participate in an auction
either because:
they have no cards featuring the 4 possible destinations, or because the
information (and so points) to be gathered is/are so negligible that
they aren't prepared to spend the money.
Bluffing is allowed of course in order to raise a bid further.
Example of an auction:
Player A bids 50
Player B bids 60
Player C bids 80
Player A can move Lang-Tsu to the destination of his choice and pays his
winning bid to the bank
It can be agreed before the game starts to use a different bidding
system. Each player lays an amount of money face down. Whoever bids
the most gets to move Lang-Tsu.
Scoring
The player who bids most can lay down up to 3 cards for the destination
to which Lang-Tsu has moved, (2 cards when the time stone is by a red
symbol). He adds up the points so earned as detailed on his card(s) and
moves his playing piece that many spaces forward round the points track.
Played cards are placed beneath the deck.
Free information
Players who also have cards matching Lang-Tsu's new position can play
these for free.
They too move their playing pieces the appropriate number of places
round the points track.
Event cards
The player who has moved Lang-Tsu decides whether to take an event card
himself or to hand it to an opponent of his choice. The instructions are
carried out immediately and playing pieces and the junk are moved
accordingly.
'Felder' (spaces) refers to the numbered spots on the points track.
'Positionen' (places) refers to the placing of playing pieces in an
order: e.g. if the first placed player must move one place back, he
moves his piece to one space behind the 2nd placed player.
More than one figure can occupy a space.
Buying destination cards
The player entitled to move Lang-Tsu has the opportunity to buy a
destination card for 100. He takes the top card and pays 100 to the
bank. Then a round of play is over.
The next round
The time stone should be moved one space forwards. The 4 possible
destinations for Lang-Tsu will already be set.
End of the game
The game ends as soon as a player has reached or overtaken the junk, but
all players must have moved their pieces and the event card must have
been enacted for that round. Whoever now has overtaken the junk by the
smallest amount has won.
The game does not end if the junk reaches spaces 63/64. In this event,
the junk will move backwards. If a card calls for it to move forwards,
ignore it.
What happens if...
a)...someone bids more than they own?
He pays a fine of 100 to the bank. If he can't pay that much, he pays
all he has. The auction is then held again. The offending player
cannot bid, but can claim free information.
b)...no-one bids?
The player who last moved Lang-Tsu does so again, for free.
c)...a player doesn't want to play all his destination cards?
Not a problem! Tactics should shape your decisions.
Event cards
Deine Mitspieler haben Gluck!
Your opponents are lucky. They each receive 50 from the bank. Junk
moves 3 spaces forwards.
Deine Mitspieler haben mehr Gluck als du!
Your opponents are luckier than you. They move 3 spaces nearer the
junk. Junk moves one space forwards.
Du hast eine Fehlinformation erhaltan.
You have received some false information. The points you have just
acquired are lost. Junk moves 2 spaces backwards.
Du schuldest deinen Mitspielern einen Gefallen.
You owe your opponents a favour. Each of them moves 1 space forwards,
you correspondingly move backwards. Junk moves 2 spaces forwards.
Lang-Tsu verzichtet auf Schmiergeld.
Lang-Tsu waives his bribe. You send him immediately to oneof the 4
destinations and score, without having to pay anything. Junk moves 1
space backwards.
Du hast noch eine Rechnung offen.
You still have a bill outstanding. Take one point from each player.
They of course move 1 space backwards. Junk moves 1 space forwards.
Deine Mitspieler sind einer Tauschung aufgesessen.
Your opponents are accused of a deception. Points just acqured by them
are lost. Junk moves 3 spaces backwards.
Beziehungen helfen!
Your contacts help! Draw 2 cards from the destination deck. Junk moves
1space forwards.
Wichtige Informationen kommem abhanden.
Important information is lost. You fall back 1 place. Junk moves 1
space forwards.
Sturme werfen die Dschunke vor und zuruck.
Storms buffet the junk. You decide in which direction it will move 3
spaces.
Ein Strohmann hilft dir.
A front man helps you. You improve your position by 1 place. Junk
moves 1 space forwards.
Lang-Tsus Beziehungen zahlen sich aus.
Lang-Tsu's contacts prove worthwhile. You can take 1 destination card
from 2 different players. Junk moves 1 space forwards.
Der Erste erleident einen Ruckschlag
The leader suffers a setback. He falls back 1 place. Junk moves 2
spaces forwards.
Gluck fur deine Mitspieler!
Luck for your opponents! They can each draw a destination card from
the deck. Junk moves 1 space backwards.
Der Letzte erhalt umsonst geheime Information
The player in last place receives mysterious information for nothing.
He rises by 2 places. Junk moves 3 spaces forwards.
Gluck gehabt!
You have good fortune! Draw a destination card from the deck. Junk
moves 2 spaces forwards.